Topping mechanism for vegetable-harvesters.



0. W. FISHER.

TOPPING MEGHANISM PoR VBGBTABLB HARVESTERS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 22, 1911.

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O. W. FISHER.

TOPPING MBGHANISM FOR VEGETABLE HARVESTERS.

APPLIoATIoN FILED SEPT. 22, 1911.

1,082,625. Patented Deo. 30, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

MEM/ 25555:

-UNTTED STATES PATENT FTQ. I

OLIVER W. FISHER, OF PAINESVILLE, OHIO.

TOPPING- MECHANISM FOR VEGETABLE-HARVESTERS.

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T0 all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, OLIVER W'. FISHER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Painesville, in the county of Lake and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Topping Mechanism for Vegetable-Harvesters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in topping mechanism for vegetable harvesters, and more particularly to that class or type which are designed to cut or sever the tops from the vegetables while in the ground and in'advance of the digging and conveying or elevating mechanism, the latter mechanism being adapted to remove the topped vegetables from the ground and elevate, clean,

sort, and discharge the same into a suitable receptacle, or, if desired, upon-the ground at the rear of the machine.

The present invention relates to-topping mechanism for vegetable harvesters and-in the present instance is shown in connection with an onion harvesting machine, but it is apparent that the same may be readily adapted for topping other vegetables such as sugar beets, and the like.

The primary object of the invention is to,`

provide improved toppingmechanism of this class of exceedingly simple, cheap and efficient construction, having lits parts so arranged and adjusted thatv'the same may be readily adapted to meet the varying exigencies of actual service.

YVith the above mentioned and other ends in view, the inventionconsists in the'novel construction, arrangement and combination .Fi0'. 3, a sectional view of the gearing mounted on the rear aXle for driving the topping, conveyer, and sorter mechanism. Fig. 4, a top plan view of the topping mechanism detached from the main frame. Similar numerals of reference designate Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led September 22, 1911.

Patented Dec. 30,1913.

Serial No. 650,701.

like parts throughout all the figures of the drawings. n

The improved harvester comprises a frame consisting, in the present instance, of side beams or members l, connected by suitable cross bars 2, said side beams being preferably curved upwardly and rearwardly intermediate their ends to form a reduced rear frame portion la. I

As a means for guiding the machine as well as providing means for elevating or lowering the front end of the frame together with the vegetable topping, digging and conveying mechanism, carried by the latter, as hereinafter described, the front of the frame is provided with an vaxle beam 3, carrying an axle shaft 4, the latter being provided with front or guide wheels 5. The axle beam 3 and shaft LL, are pivoted beneath the front cross bar 2, through the medium of a king bolt or guide shaft G, eX- tending upwardly through an "externally threaded bearing sleeve 7, the yupper end of the bolt or shaft G, being provided with a guide lever 8, extending rearwardly within convenient reach of the operator seated in the seat 9, supported on the main frame or side beams l. vThe threaded bearing sleeve 7, is surrounded by aninternally threaded bevel gear 10 secured to the cross bar 2, and

adapted to be operated by av second bevel gear ll, carried upon the end of a shaft orv column l2, the latter 'being mounted in a suitable bearing 13, carried upon one ofthe cross bars 2. rThe shaft or column 12, is

yprovided with a wheel 14,` within convenient reach of the operator, whereby the front portion of the machine frame may be elevated or depressed 1n an obvious manner as occasion may demand.

The machine is adapted to straddle the.

row of vegetables tobe topped and harvested, as illustrated in Fig. l, of the drawings, and as a means for topping the vegetables -in the ground in advance of the digger and conveyer, the front end of the frame is provided with guide members 15, carried upon depending supporting arms 16, said guide vme-mbers'being' spaced apart to provide an intermediate vegetable top receiving recess 17, the front ends of the guide members b eing diverging as at 15a, to more eifectually guide the tops to the cutting device at the rear and just above the guide members 15, as now described.

rllhe depending arms 1G, are provided *ith forwardly `extending curved guard members 1G21, extending just above the cutters or blades i8, of the top cutting or severing device hereinafter' described, said guard members serving to keep the cut tops from the cuttin g device and to distribute the same at opposite sides of the guide members l5, as shown most clearly in Figs. 2 and 4, of the drawings.

The improved vegetable top cutting or severing device forming the subject-matter of the appended claims comprises, in combination with the parts just described, a plurality of cutters or blades lS,having a shear cutting contact with one of the guide members l5, said cutters being mounted upon the lower end of a vertically arranged driving shaft 19, mounted in suitable bearings 20, the latter being carried upon cross bars 2l, between the supporting arms 1G. rEhe driving shaft 19, is provided at its top with a bevel gear 22 l e-, meshing witn a second bevel gear 23, carried upon a driving shaft. 2l, mounted in suitable bearings carried by the frame of the machine, said driving shaft being provided with a pulley 25, driven by a belting 2G (or sprocket chain) the latter passing over a second pulley 27, carried upon one end of a driving shaft 2S, the. latter being provided its opposite end with a sprocket wheel 29. rlhe sprocket wheel 29, is driven by a sprocket chain 30, passing over a second sprocket wheel 3', the latter, together with a companion sprocket wheel 32, being loosely mounted'upon a' wheel sl jeve 33, forming a part of one of the wheels T34, said tiactionvf'heelsv 34, being mounted, in the present instance, on an axle shaft extending beneath the portion la, of the machine.

Bis a means for digging and conveying the topped vegetables from the ground after they are operated upon by the cutting device above described, a digger plow is provided, said digger plow being adjustably mounted beneath the front portion of the machine. frame a short distance behind the rear frame toppin device, and comprising, in the pres-I members are provided with a transversely extending cutter blade 3S, of any suitable shape and form desired. The side members 36, are adjustably carried on the sidepbeams l, of the frame by means of supporting straps or members 39, provided with guide slots 39a, the latter extending over adjusting bolts Q;QJ, secured in the side beams 1, of the machine frame.

As a means for conveying and elevating the topped vegetables, loosened earth, etc., as the latter are received from the digger, a conveyor is provided, said conveyer comprising a pair of endless sprocket chains l, provided at suitable intervals with transversely extending carrier blades or members said sprocket chains passing over sprocket wheels 43, and as a means for driving said conveyer the sprocket wheels 43, at the upper rear portion of the conveyor are mounted on a driving shaft all. mounted in suitable bearingsor be fing blocks 4:5, secured beneath the rearportion of the side beams l, said driving shaft being provided with a sprocket wheel elli, adapted to receive mot-ion from the sprocket wheel 32, of the wheel sleeve 33, through the medium of a sprocket chain 4f?. The lower sprocket wheels '43, are mounted on a transverse shaft extending between the side plates or members 3G, of the digger, whereby the lower end of the conveyor is carried in proper relative position to the digger parts, and is adapted to be simultaneously lowered or elevated with the latter through the medium of the supporting straps 39, and adjusting bolts 40, and whereby the depth of the digger may be regulated in accordance with the size or character of the vegetables to be harvested. The carrier blades or members 42, are adapted to pass over a plurality of longitudinally arranged slats or boards whereby the topped vegetables, soil, etc., are carried and elevated, and if desired, the

slats or boards may be spaced apart to pro vide longitudinally extending slots 40a.

through which loose dirt, small vegetables,

etc., may fall, the larger vegetables being discharged at the upper rear end of the machine into a revoluble sorter to be now described.

rIhe revoluble sorter is arranged at the rear end of the machine and comprises a spider heads 50, are provided with arplurality of rearwardly flaring and diverging sorter bars and as a convenient means for vreceiving the topped vegetables from the ed therewith, into and out of gear or connection with the wheel sleeve 33, and adjacent traction wheel 34, a clutch 62, is slidably mounted on the wheel sleeve 33, said clutch being provided with suitable clutch teeth adapted to engage andcoperate with clutch teeth in the hub portion of the sprocket wheels 8l and 32, said clutch being adapted to be moved by means of a shifting lever 68, provided with a collarr64, adapted to operate in the inclined groove 62a, of the clutch member, the shift lever 63, being provided at its upper or free end with a connecting rodG4a, connected to an operating hand lever G5, within convenient reach of the operator seated in the seat 9, of the machine, whereby the operator may readily throw the topping and conveying mechanism into and outv of gear, as desired.

The various sizes of topped vegetables passing from the revoluble sorter at the rear of the machine may be discharged into a suitable receptacle carried at the rear of the machine, or, if desired, may be discharged upon the ground.

The wheel sleeves or hubs 33, and 61, and

traction wheels 34, may be driven through any suitable and convenient source of power such as 'a motor or engine carried upon'the machine frame and suitably connected, or if desired, may be drawn by horses hitched to the l*front of the machine through a clevis member G6, connected to the front cross bar 2, in any suitable and convenient manner.

As the digger conveyer and sorter mechanism above described form no part of the present invention as herein claimed, the same need not be further illustrated, or fun' ther described in detail.

From the foregoingdescription, taken in connection with the accompanying draw-- ings, the operation and advantages of my invention will be readily understood.

Having thus described an embodiment of my invention, what I claimed and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,-

l. In a vegetable harvester, a pair of guide members provided with a'vegetable top receiving recess, a vertical driving shaft provided with a plurality of horizontally arranged cutters extending across said top receiving recess and adapted to lcooperate with one of said guide members, guard members above said cutters, and means for operating said driving shaft and cutters.

2. In a vegetable harvester, a frame provided at its front with guide members forming an intermediate vegetable top receiving recess, a vertical shaft provided with vegetable cutters at the rear of said vegetable top receiving recess and having a shear cutting contact with one of saidguide members, curved guard members above and extending to the rear of said cutters, and means for operating said vertical shaft.

3. In a vegetable harvester, a frame provided at its front with depending supporting arms, cross bars extending between the latter, a vertical driving shaft mounted on said cross bars, forwardly extending curved vegetable guide members carried by said depending supporting arms and spaced apart to form an intermediate rearwardly converging top receiving recess, a plurality of horizontally extending cutter blades mounted on said driving shaft at the rear of said recess, and traction wheel actuated gearing carried by said frame for operating said driving shaft.

4. In a vegetable harvester, a frame provided with depending supporting arms, horizontally extending'- vegetable guide members carried upon the lower ends of said arms and extending forwardly and spaced apart forming an intermediate vegetable -to-p receiving recess, cross bars carried by said depending supporting arms, a vertical driving shaft mountedon said cross bars, horizontally extending cutters carried by said driving shaft at the rear of said vegetable top receiving recess, and curved guard members carriedl by said depending supporting 'arms and extending above said horizontally extending cutters.

In testimony whereof I have ailixed lmy signature in-presence of two witnesses.

OLIVER W. FISHER.

Witnesses: t

A GEO. J. vonT BESELER,

F. D. HAHN.`

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patenti, Washington, D. C. 

